Pianist Cathy Krier to Release LEOS JANACEK: THE PIANO on CD, 8/13

The gifted pianist Cathy Krier, born in Luxembourg in 1985, presents an intensely compelling and beautifully played Janácek recital, featuring all of the Czech composer's piano works, with the exception of the etudes and folk song adaptations, on 2 CDs. The set includes On an Overgrown Path, Moravian dances and folksongs, Variations for Zdenka, In the Mists, and the Piano Sonata, among other works. The new recording from CAvi-music isavailable in North America from Allegro Classical on August 13.

Long guarded as the provenance of Czech pianists only, the music of Janácek, so strongly rooted within the borders of his country, is slowly unraveling its mystery for a new generation of pianists.Influenced by folk music and the Czech language, Janacék's construction of melody and phrasing is unique. "What I really love about Janacek's music are the changes of characters and atmospheres in once piece," says Krier, "they come from one second to another without any introduction or development. They are very often quite harsh and abrupt but, for me, that makes the beauty of his music. Every note is essential and important and he goes straight to the point. With such a modern attitude, Janacék was way ahead of his time."

Krier's first solo recording, also for CAvi-music and released in 2008, features works by Scarlatti, Haydn, Chopin, Dutilleux and Müllenbach. In 2000, only 15 years of age, she recorded Beethoven's Piano Concerto in G major with the Latvian Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra conducted by Carlo Jans.

Cathy Krier is the laureate of a number of prizes including the Prix Norbert Stelmes, awarded by the Jeunesses Musicales du Luxembourg, and the IKB International Foundation Prize. In 2005, Cathy joined Cyprien Katsaris for a four-hand performance at the inauguration of the Luxembourg Philharmonie. She has studied at theMusikhochschule in Cologne, at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, and with Robert Levin at the Ruhr Piano Festival. Cathy Krier has performed at venues across Austria, Spain, The Netherlands, Germany, Latvia, Andorra, Italy, France and Belgium, as well as in the United States for a solo recital at the Kennedy Center in 2002.